June 25th, 2009 
Matt Loede 
Posted in The Sacramento Bee is reporting that Niners QB Alex Smith is doing a good job making up for lost time, and is ready to challenge Shaun Hill for the starting job:
That 49ers coach Mike Singletary had his players go through two-a-day practices for a stretch earlier this month only bolstered Alex Smith’s confidence. His right arm – finally – had made a triumphant return. General manager Scot McCloughan recently said Smith looked better than he had at any point in his NFL career. He also is in the best situation of his career. Mike Nolan, the coach with whom Smith waged a cold war for the past year and a half, is gone. Smith isn’t being forced into an offense that doesn’t fit his strengths. He reworked his contract earlier this year, and the expectations for him are commensurately more modest.
